1987 Mississippi ballot measures

On November 3, 1987, the U.S. state of Mississippi held referendums on ten state-level constitutional amendments, with topics ranging from repealing a defunct interracial marriage ban to requiring political candidates to live in the district they hope to represent. None of the ballot measures faced organized opposition and all ten passed. Of the ten amendments, all but one, Amendment 3, passed by margins of ~40%. Amendment 3 passed by just 3.52%. Since 1912, this has remained the largest number of ballot measures decided by Mississippi voters in a single year.

History

Beginning with the Constitution of 1832, the legislature of Mississippi has held the power to refer proposed amendments to the state constitution to the ballot for approval or rejection by the state's voters.[2][a] A total of 62 constitutional amendments have been referred to the ballot in Mississippi since 1912, with 60 coming from the state's legislature, and the other 2 initiated by citizens.[5]

In the 1987 election, ten amendments were referred to voters, which remains the largest number of measures voted on by Mississippi voters in a single year since 1912.[5]

Reception

There was no organized opposition to any of the 10 measures on the ballot,[6] nor did any create "legislative fireworks".[6] At the time, many newspapers, including The Clarion-Ledger, the Hattiesburg American, and the Sun Herald, wrote editorials in favor of a constitutional convention taking place so that larger changes could occur at a single time, rather than requiring individual amendments.[7][8][9] The Sun Herald's argument in favor of a convention, for example, was because of its belief that the 1890 constitution was "cluttered," and that a majority of the constitution's provisions "belong in statutory law."[9]

Ballot measures

Mississippi voters decided on the ten amendments on November 3, 1987.[10]

Map key
Percentage Color
80–90% (yes)  
70–80% (yes)  
60–70% (yes)  
50–60% (yes)  
50–60% (no)  
60–70% (no)  
1987 Mississippi ballot measures
Amendment Description[11] Yes[5] No[5] Results map[12] Method of referral and effect of amendment[11]
No. Pct. No. Pct.
One Constitutional amendment to allow a person to use their will to leave any or all of their estate to a charity, religious institution, education institution, or civil institution, so long as the will adheres to state laws and is made at minimum 180 days before the individual dies; and to increase the maximum time period that any of the aforementioned organizations could legally hold specific interests in land that was willed to them, to not longer than 10 years 367,450 73.12 135,049 26.88 House Concurrent Resolution No. 7; Section 270 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 amended
Two Constitutional amendment to require the state legislature to establish, maintain, and support free public schools; to repeal a section that has the aforementioned requirements but for each county; and to repeal a section allowing the state legislature to abolish free public schools within the state and allowing counties and school districts to do the same 353,317 71.30 142,211 28.70 House Concurrent Resolution No. 9; Section 201 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 amended, and Sections 205 and 213-B of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 repealed
Three Constitutional amendment to repeal an unenforceable ban on interracial marriages between a white person and a Black person and interracial marriages between a white person and a mulatto[13] 264,064 51.76 246,135 48.24 House Concurrent Resolution No. 13; Section 263 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 repealed
Four Constitutional amendment to remove the La Bauve Fund Trustee from the Mississippi College Board and to require the state legislature to appoint a trustee for the aforementioned fund at the University of Mississippi 341,692 71.00 139,540 29.00 House Concurrent Resolution No. 19; Section 213-A of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 amended
Five Constitutional amendment to require candidates running for the Mississippi House of Representatives to live in the district for which they are running 382,632 78.23 106,456 21.77 House Concurrent Resolution No. 41; Section 41 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 amended
Six Constitutional amendment to allow county and circuit court judges to deny bail if the offense has evident proof and is punishable by a maximum of 20 or more years, or life, imprisonment, if releasing the person who was arrested would cause a "special danger" to the public; to require the judge who makes such decision to record their reasoning; and to grant any individual denied bail the ability to appeal for an emergency hearing before a Mississippi Supreme Court justice 394,100 79.84 99,521 20.16 Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 534; Section 29 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 amended
Seven Constitutional amendment to repeal the prohibition of transportation corporations issuing stocks or bonds if the corporation does not receive money, labor, or property in return; and to repeal the section that makes void the fictitious increase of stock and indebtedness 344,430 71.96 134,220 28.04 Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 548; Section 196 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 repealed
Eight Constitutional amendment to delete provisions that set the limit of charters for private corporations to 99 years 333,905 70.02 142,954 29.98 Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 549; Section 178 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 amended
Nine Constitutional amendment to repeal a section that allows for corporate stockholders to use their shares to vote for all directors or one candidate; to allow the topic of preferred stock without voting; and to prohibit a director from specific competing business interests without the consent of the stockholders 336,138 70.43 141,153 29.57 Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 550; Section 194 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 repealed
Ten Constitutional amendment to repeal a section providing that charters which are granted to private corporations must be recorded in the chancery clerk's office[b] of the county in which the headquarters of such corporation is located 335,119 69.74 145,427 30.26 Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 551; Section 189 of the Mississippi Constitution of 1890 repealed

Note

  1. ^ Before then, with the 1817 Constitution, which was the state's first constitution,[3] the legislature could only place a question on the ballot asking whether a constitutional convention should be held.[4]
  2. ^ All of Mississippi's 82 counties have one chancery clerk,[14] with the job entailing recording and making public the official minutes of the Board of Supervisors, writing and signing checks for payments, archiving records, overseeing the storage and disposal of numerous county records, and other areas, including matters of estates and guardianships, and other areas similar to those.[15]

References

  1. ^ "Constitutional amendments". Hattiesburg American. November 1, 1987. Archived from the original on February 28, 2026. Retrieved March 2, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "The Mississippi Constitution of 1832". Mississippi History Now. "Mode of Revising the Constitution.". Archived from the original on June 9, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  3. ^ Skates, John Ray (August 2000). "Constitutions of Mississippi". Mississippi History Now. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  4. ^ "The Mississippi Constitution of 1817". Mississippi History Now. Section 1 of "Mode of Revising the Constitution". Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  5. ^ a b c d "List of Mississippi ballot measures". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Voters must decide on 10 amendments". Hattiesburg American. November 1, 1987. Retrieved March 2, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Go vote". The Clarion-Ledger. November 3, 1987. Archived from the original on February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 26, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Amendments should have our support". Hattiesburg American. October 30, 1987. Archived from the original on January 29, 2026. Retrieved February 26, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ a b "Amendments are better than nothing". Sun Herald. October 19, 1987. Retrieved February 28, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Mississippi 1987 ballot measures". Ballotpedia. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Referenda and Primary Election Materials Part 28: Referenda Elections for Mississippi" (PDF). Ballotpedia. June 2002. Retrieved March 2, 2026.
  12. ^ Molpus, Dick (1989). Mississippi Official and Statistical Register 1988-1992. pp. 575–589.
  13. ^ "Slim vote repeals interracial marriage ban". The Clarksdale Press Register. Associated Press. November 6, 1987. Archived from the original on January 31, 2026. Retrieved March 9, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Chancery clerks' pay over state cap". The Commercial Dispatch. August 5, 2010. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
  15. ^ "Chancery Clerk". Pearl River County, MS. Archived from the original on December 31, 2025. Retrieved March 8, 2026.
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